My cat has trouble breathing. What are the next steps for diagnosis?

Question

My 7-yr-old, neutered male cat has dyspnea. My vet said it's his naso-pharynx area. After 2 days in the hosp, x-rays, being sedated twice for 2 vets to examine him, he was sent home w predisone. There were no polyps or tumors. My vet admits he is stumped. The prednisone didn't do much, so w my vet's approval, I switched to Flagyl for a few days, which didn't help, & now 4mg methylprednisolone. For 1 wk it's made his breathing quieter & allows him to eat easier, but he's still struggling! Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | neutered | 7 years old | 8 lbs

Jacqueline Nobles, DVM, DACVECC · Accepted Answer

If he is dyspneic, he may have both upper and lower airway disease. I find that chest x-rays can underestimate the extent of lower airway disease. In some of these cases, we have to do additional diagnostics such as a thoracic CT, bronchoscopy and in some cases biopsy. He may need to be evaluated by a veterinary internal medicine specialist. Discuss this with your veterinarian.

My cat has trouble breathing. What are the next steps for diagnosis?

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